> Others have
> advocated and practiced these principles outside of our
culture. And, can
> the capitalistic system survive much longer without
incorporating these
> principles? And, can not its failures and its weaknesses
largely be
> attributed to not having practiced such principles?
Glenn,
I've always wondered why the mainstream religious are inevitably
amongst the last to put some of their own principles into action
when it comes to environmental stewardship.
1) If God created everything and it was good, then why do humans
not adhere to maintaining the goodness, instead chipping away at
all its forms until it becomes nothing of its original self? Are
we somehow under the impression that we can do better than he or
she?
2) Dominion over all things? Just exactly how much does it take
to establish this "dominion?" Does something have to be beaten
down into pulpy submission before there is evidence as to who or
what is dominant? Restraint in light of opportunity is a surer
sign of "dominance" than is destruction.
3) There is the whole thing of equity of transgressions. Which is
more deplorable in God's eyes, to put a gun directly to someone's
head and pull the trigger or pumping dioxin, lead and other
poisons directly into the environment, in turn contaminating
another's breathing space or drinking water, killing them or
irreversibly maiming them just as assuredly? Or does God turn a
blind eye as long as the practices have been made "legal" on
paper?
Someone should try telling the 5 year old who will never see his
or her sixth year that he or she is "expendable" - the product of
"acceptable risk," where the perception of benefits to human
kind(?) outweigh his or her right to exist. ("Sorry buddy. But
the world really needs this model of cheap plastic crap more than
it needs you, or for that matter your daddy employed at the
chemical plant.")
Mainstream religions, primarily "Christianity" have eroded the
notion of good stewardship relative to the environment by
stripping away any spiritual connotation ever associated with all
things natural. This has been followed up closely with a millenia
old policy of "salvation insurance," making whatever happens
after their soul has been "secured" completely inconsequential,
in turn making all those inconsequentials "acceptable."
"Hey! Don't worry about the pain and suffering and being grossly
short changed on the living experience. You're going to heaven!
Lucky you! God will reimburse you for the moose you never saw or
your spirit that never lept in awe above timberline or the
amazement never experienced watching fireflies on a dew damp
evening. That's all just stuff for those flying coach class
anyway. You're going first cabin! No lay overs for you!"
Mainstream religions in many of their presently distorted forms,
while offering hope to many who have none, are also little more
than salves for untold hundreds of millions destitute of a true
understanding of spirit. And in some respects that is exactly how
many in religious heirarchies would care to keep it - leaving
comfort zones and power structures intact.
Addressing the incongruities of professed "spirituality" and real
world spirtual experience is and has always been untidy business.
And the failure to address these irregularities, much less own up
to them, is what has brought us much, if not most, of the
destruction we experience now.
Todd Swearingen
----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <biofuels-biz@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 11:31 AM
Subject: Re: [biofuels-biz] Some essential questions
> Todd,
>
> Thank you for your response. In the main, I agree with you.
Perhaps what
> history is teaching us is that our ideas of capitalism need to
be modified,
> less toward a national, and more toward a regional approach.
That would
> indeed be revolutionary, and perhaps require a revolution,
since most of the
> political and economic activities to date appear to have pushed
us in the
> nationalistic direction, and our culture has become highly
nationalistic.
> You and others appear to be advocating a change of thinking.
If so, I
> agree.
>
> But first, to say the least, we need a philosophy as the basis
to reverse
> the nationalism trend and redirect it toward regionalism,.
The
> Jewdaic-Christian heritage is generally credited with having
been the basis
> for the present high standard of living. I suggest go to
that for the
> development of such a philosophy. You ennunciated one
principle of this
> philosophy, "The love of money is the root of all kinds of
evil." Some other
> elements from this same heritage, not much a part of the
capitalistic
> approach and our culture these days, are: "A man's life
consists not in the
> abundance of things which he possesses." And "love they
neighbor as
> thyself." On this all the commandments are based, "Love the
Lord God with
> all thy heart, and love they neighbor as thyself." Nor are
most of these
> principles altogetgher unique to the Jewdaic-Christian
heritage. Others have
> advocated and practiced these principles outside of our
culture. And, can
> the capitalistic system survive much longer without
incorporating these
> principles? And, can not its failures and its weaknesses
largely be
> attributed to not having practiced such principles?
>
> Glenn Ellis
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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